The landscape around the Burgundy Canal is one of rolling hills eroded
over the centuries and covered in forests of oak, maple and pine and
where spring, summer and autumn each leave a unique signature. Medieval
towns are surrounded by unspoilt countryside and the wonderful markets
have stalls brimming with fresh local products cultivated on the
fertile plains. Burgundy, with some of the prettiest canals in France,
boasts some of the world's finest wines with around 60,000 acres of sunlit vines.

The Burgundy Canal (canal de bourgogne) winds its way in smooth curves
through the heart of renowned wine growing areas such as Chablis, Côte
de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, or rises steeply through a flight of locks
that appear like staircases.

The Nivernais Canal meanders alongside the picturesque River Yonne,
through a largely undiscovered region near the Morvan Hills, passing
sleepy villages and Charolais cattle grazing in the lush pastures. This
is the original home of hotel barging with its hand-swung bridges and
old logging sites, and where time seems to have stood still for
centuries.

This is a region with a vast variety of cheeses, in all shapes, sizes
and colors, strong in character or mild and fresh and all can be
enjoyed with full-bodied red Burgundies, or perhaps with lighter white
Chablis wines. Burgundy's gastronomic tradition is certainly rich and
diverse and a sedate cruise on a hotel barge along one of its
delightful waterways will allow you to indulge in good food and wine,
two of the real pleasures in life.